Sarah Bernhardt was the idol of Eva Le Gallienne, a legendary stage actress, growing up as the daughter of poet Richard Le Gallienne. At the age of 18, Eva was brought to New York by her mother, and her London debut with "Monna Vanna" in 1914 proved her to be a star in every sense of the word.
Eva Le Gallienne appeared on Broadway for the first time in "Liliom" in 1921 and lastly at the Biltmore Theatre in 1981 with "To Grandmother's House We Go," which earned her a Tony nomination at the age of 82. She was known for her boldness and idealism, becoming a director and muse for top playwrights, a renowned translator of Henrik Ibsen, and a founder of the civic repertory movement in America.
Throughout her six-decade career, Eva Le Gallienne dedicated herself to the Art of Theatre, as opposed to the Show Business of Broadway, and was committed to upgrading the quality of the stage. She ran the Civic Repertory Theatre Company for 10 years (1926-1936),producing 37 plays during that time. She managed the 1100-seat Civic Repertory Theatre, also known as the 14th Street Theatre, from 1926-1932, which was home to her company and featured actors such as J. Edward Bromberg, Paul Leyssac, Florida Friebus, and Leona Roberts.
Eva Le Gallienne's extensive gallery of theatrical roles included performances in productions of Peter Pan and Hamlet, among many others. Despite her lengthy career, she almost entirely avoided film and television, except for a stage version of "The Royal Family" on TV in 1977 and a quiet, touching performance as Ellen Burstyn's grandmother in the 1980 film "Resurrection," for which she received an Oscar nomination.
